Chapter 12
Chapter 12
ALEXANDER STONE
I know it's weird hitting the gym this late but I couldn't deny my body the adrenaline it needs.
Before now, my only issue was simple, revenge and even when I was married briefly, I was still fixated. Now I have my thoughts scattered.
There's revenge, Sophia and the mystery woman situation. The last tops the list at the moment.
With barely a few hours before the contraceptive window close, I am still unable to find her. I can't rely on luck or hope to not let her conceive. I am a practical man and this can get shitty.
What if that was her plan all along?
What if she's not as clueless as she claimed to be?
Shit!
Also, I need her ideas for my company. The whole speech about diversity got to me and it's not like me to mix pleasure with potential but this woman, this lady in red, had me spellbound. Fuck me!
All day at the office, my whole body was itching for the gym, my suit felt like it
was too tight, like the walls are closing in on me. It gets like this sometimes, especially when I have these dreams.
But hell.
A man needs to sweat, lift heavy shit, and feel like a beast when he’s spent the last several hours in front of a computer, meetings, and multiple solo brainstorming moments.
My mind is full of plans and figures and
projections, so it's hard to deal with the other problems.
After the meeting with the product development team- which was just a little bit progressive by the way, I let out a relieved sigh, ready to leap to my feet and stride across my large office. There’s an elevator right at the back which leads to my private garage, and from there, it’s a short walk to my sedan and then a quick drive to the gym.
By now, Davis would have sent the press release to media outlets and as much as it's morally wrong to throw her under the bus, I would do anything to protect my company.
I don't get warmed up and just increase the pace of the treadmill by 5 seconds per mile making the workout more difficult by also increasing the incline of the treadmill by 5% as well.
During the run, I'm thinking about her. The woman again. For a man like me who has a good sexual life, I still don't get why this stood out. Why am I unable to forget this woman? She's just a woman...like all the others I've fucked. What about her is clung to my body like jelly?
My fists clench on each side of the handrail, my whole body pumping with burning fire as the wandering thoughts continue to prevail. It is when my phone starts to ring that I decrease the pace of the treadmill and slow down on my run.
"Yes, Davis?" I catch up with the slow pace of the running belt.
"The statement has been released and now you're the hero for being a gentleman. Sophia's live session also helped fasten things up. All that's left is another piece of news to override this and bye bye bad press"
I hang up. I don't feel bad. My thirst for success is cutthroat so I'd use any means possible to remain at the top.
My business started with an idea in an abandoned truck. I never thought that I would run a beauty company. I loved sports growing up and making the NFL was my dream but, life had other plans. La'Belle is a weapon of revenge and I intend to trigger that weapon at the perfect time. My father.
In recent times, there’s been a surge of nostalgia in pop culture – from sunscreens
to the resurrection of moisturizers – my company needs to seize on that. This of course is why I need the lady in red. Her ideas swayed me and I'm open to paying to have rights to those ideas.
I don't mix business with pleasure but with her, I'm willing to break that rule one more time. I wouldn't get in bed with her again even though I'm dying to, it's just going to be work. No sexual additives.
No woman, ever, has made me feel anything before and after Sophia.
No woman has ever piqued my interest, or even come close.
With Sophia, it was more of her hard work that led to us getting married in the first place.
And after her, I’d stopped searching. I’d stopped hoping.
There’s nothing wrong with me and I’m not
defective in any way.
I have my demons and until I defeat them will I gain my freedom - at least that is what I hope would happen after the long years of battle.
I shoot Pharell another call. He doesn't respond. Shit!
I shoot Sophia another call and I'm sent straight to her voicemail...again.
***************
DIANA THORTON
Working for La'belle has its perks but strangely, I can't deny the downsides of getting a job at such a prestigious
company.
I live on the far, far side
of the city, alone.
As I walk down the dark streets with flickering street lights that matched the staccato of my heartbeat, I ignore the silence from houses as I walked faster than my legs could carry, the sound of a cat screeching made me jump in fear because I don't like cats.
There’s always something so deflating about returning from the office to my apartment on days like this. I am worn out beyond the regular and the fact that I have just about five hours of sleep before morning gives me a dreadful feeling.
I barely even have time to make beauty samples.
I lazily fall face flat on my bed the moment I walk into my tiny apartment. Every day I tell myself that it'll get better. The tiredness is worrisome and for a tiny shard of a second, I want to resign. Forget the dreams and just do something else. But then I remember my late foster mum and the promise I'd made to her. She was a lover of cosmetics and made me fall in love with the beauty industry from the first day she and her husband officially adopted me.
The day is as clear as day in my mind. I was too introverted to talk. It was a new environment and I didn't want to do things that would make them reconsider adopting me. She'd led me upstairs to her room and showed me her array of beauty products neatly arranged in designated clusters on a table.
She had products for hair, body, and lots of make-up. A lot of times we would play a game where I get to dress her up. I'd pick her outfit and do her makeup - they were horrible attempts but still, she allowed me. I miss them- a lot. Their being alive would have been enough for me, knowing that after a long day, they are home waiting for me. Encouraging and cheering me on. But they are gone and all that's left is just memories. Memories of what was and what could have been.
I muster up the courage to pull back the tears but I can't help it. This feeling accompanied by stress and a mid-life crisis that I'm too young to experience, is weighing me down.
My phone rings and I blindly reach for it from the bed.
"Hey Ana," Caroline says over the phone
"Hi," I say dryly.
"Are you okay?" Her mum's sense must have picked up something.
I sniff "I don't know." maybe it isn't bad to just cry and let it all out.
"I'm not fine" And without my approval, a stream of tears flow down my cheeks.
Caroline remains silent. I applaud her for giving me that space and not intruding with questions because as close as we may be, getting into past personal details is not something I am ready to share. It doesn't mean that I don't trust her, I'm just not ready to trigger that grenade of emotions.
"It's Alex, isn't it?" She finally said after I'd stopped crying. "I don't want to encourage you to keep fighting, Diana. To fight you need strength and right now it's all too much for you"
"I want to but I can't do that impulsively. I need a working plan before that. You're right, I don't have the strength anymore and just want to live." I sniffle into a Kleenex.
"I know it's hard to stick both feet out the door. My maternity leave starts next week and I am concerned, Diana. I am concerned for you. I don't know what's going to happen and how you're going to cope with work. I know you need the money but can't you just quit? Your mental health is also important"
"And I don't have the luxury of hiring a therapist," I say, sarcastically.
"Alternatively, you can pen down your words. I've heard it's therapeutic to just get a journal and write everything you feel. Believe me when I say as much as we blabber, I know you are holding back on some things so you don't fool me. Regardless, I care for you and want you to know that you are amazing. In a world where you could have done something immoral or illegal to live by, you chose to be legit and even if I'm no longer in the office for now, you can always call me if I'm not already in labour" She giggles and it made me giggle too.
"Thank you, Caroline"
"I don't know if I should tell you the reason I called in the first place but fuck it, you're going to find out later anyway. So Alex sent a press release and I know it's not true but the dude practically threw you under the bus."
My brows furrow "What did he say?"
"That you threw yourself at him. I know you said you kissed him first but his narrative makes it look like you wanted to rape him which makes Sophia right and now her fans are trying to find you. There's even a cash prize for anymore who does"
"I can save them the stress and just get the money instead" The joke is a sham to cover how I'm genuinely feeling.
"How do you feel?" Damn her for always spotting the facade.
"I feel attacked. I did kiss first but making it look like it was an ulteriorly calculated move as opposed to the mutuality is what I can't comprehend. Alexander is indeed a selfish bastard. Good thing they are never going to find me."
The call with Caroline eased my nerves but the news about the press release just angered me more. I searched for a journal just as Caroline mentioned and found one with a few sheets used but it'll do perfectly.
I grip the pen as I write down my thoughts.
Dear Journal,
I hate my boss...